The supernatural and the religious often become intertwined in battles for souls and psyches in horror cinema, and with the rising popularity of movies such as The Conjuring films and the enduring legacy of franchises like Hellraiser, House of Leaves Publishing is looking to bring the discussion of faith-based and worship-centric horror to the printed page in a new book called Scared Sacred: Idolatry, Religion and Worship in the Horror Film, which recently launched an Indiegogo campaign.

Edited by Rebecca Booth, Erin Thompson, and RF Todd, Scared Sacred features a foreword by legendary actor and author Doug Bradley. Collecting essays from a wide range of authors and experts, Scared Sacred looks at religion in horror cinema through the lens of four key categories: Christianity, Mysticism, Occultism, and Beyond Belief. In these four sections, the book examines the impact and depiction of religion in an extensive list of horror films, including The Conjuring movies, The Wailing, the Hellraiser franchise, The Exorcist III, and many more.

Below, we have official details, cover art, and a video for the book. To support Scared Sacred and to learn more about its content and contributors, visit the book's official Indiegogo page.

"Religion has shaped the history of mankind. With SCARED SACRED, House of Leaves hopes to incite and further discussion surrounding the influence of religion upon popular culture via the cinematic church of horror.

The book developed in response to the recent reclaiming of supernatural and religious themes in mainstream horror cinema. This is reflected thematically; the book is divided into four sections to provide a well-rounded analysis of world religions, idolatry and worship.

SCARED SACRED is edited by Rebecca Booth (author of The Devil Rides Out [Auteur Publishing]), Erin Thompson (owner of The Backseat Driver Reviews), and RF Todd (Managing Director of House of Leaves).

The cover is based on original artwork from illustrator Jeremy Thompson, which takes inspiration from the designs of the late Simon Sayce. With digital artwork by John Sowder, and design layout by Euan Monaghan, the cover will be foiled in silver. Each chapter will also be accompanied by original illustrations from illustrator John Sowder in a beautiful Medieval wood-cut style.

SCARED SACRED is due for release early in 2019 and the purpose of this crowdfunding campaign is to allow supporters to pre-order a first edition copy of the book. The first edition run is limited to 1000 copies, with only 100 copies of the hardback edition (including an alternative cover foiled in copper) available. Each book will be accompanied by a numbered certificate."

  • Derek Anderson
    About the Author - Derek Anderson

    Raised on a steady diet of R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps books and Are You Afraid of the Dark?, Derek has been fascinated with fear since he first saw ForeverWare being used on an episode of Eerie, Indiana.

    When he’s not writing about horror as the Senior News Reporter for Daily Dead, Derek can be found daydreaming about the Santa Carla Boardwalk from The Lost Boys or reading Stephen King and Brian Keene novels.